vinithehat

jwink wrote:A couple of months ago I got an "education" regarding dark chocolate from America's Test Kitchen, and have a question relating to that.

One thing I learned the most from them is that when any dark chocolate says "XX%" it's not what we all thought it meant. That figure includes the total of both the cocoa solids and the cocoa butter. [White chocolate for example has zero cocoa solids and only cocoa butter, with sugar, etc.] What is the ratio of cocoa solids to butter that you use; i.e. what is the percentage of cocoa solids? More curious than anything else also my understanding is the antioxidant qualities in chocolate come from the solids not the butter.

Thanks for the earlier post about bean type I was going to ask that as well. The story sounds like a sassafrass tree which has 3 different leaves all on the same tree.

Some quotes from the ATK site (they tested 60% Dark): "When chocolate makers grind shelled cacao beans, known as nibs, to create the thick paste called chocolate liquor, this paste contains both cocoa solids and cocoa butter. Most manufacturers then add even more cocoa butter, in varying amounts, to help create the texture of the final chocolate. A few also add extra cocoa solids to intensify the chocolate flavor. Ultimately, however, the cacao percentage on the label of a chocolate bar is a total that includes both cocoa solids and cocoa butter—meaning that different chocolates can have different proportions of each and still share the 60% percent cacao designation. As our lab tests showed, the cocoa solids in our lineup ranged from about 17 percent of a bar's total weight to more than 30 percent, while fat ranged from a third of the weight to nearly half of it. Sugar levels varied by nearly 20 percent as well."

Their tasting results showed: "In fact, our lab results revealed that the chocolate with the lowest fat won the day, while the one with the most fat came in dead last. And would having the most cocoa solids make a chocolate superior? Again, no. Our tasters preferred chocolates with only a moderate amount. Sweetness wasn't the explanation, either: Chocolates in the middle range of sugar levels were preferred over those with the most sugar, though overall the top half of the rankings had more sugar than the bottom half. In the end, we preferred dark chocolate that achieved the best balance of all three major components—cocoa butter, cocoa solids, and sugar."

richardhod

teknomls wrote:How long before these expire/start to noticeably go bad? I'd like to use some as a mothers day gift, but can it survive sitting out (or in the freezer) for a month?

Oh a month is fine. But NEVER freeze good chocolate, and refrigerating is not recommended either. woot and dry. Out of sunlight (obviously). And away from mice, ants and Indian rice Moths! (highly-sealed container: some tupperware isn't good enough)

I'd love it if Rain Republic told us something about the physical / chemical properties of their chocolate, and chocolate in general, as to why it's bad to keep it too cold. It's something about precipitating out ingredients, and separation of the chocolate.

rainrepublic

Great question. 100% Natural means no hexane gas either. We try for non-GMO soy beans but sometimes the farmers are tricked so no one can really guarantee it. Heat, pressure and spinning do the trick here in Guate'. Also, we use less than half a percent so, it's a super low amount.

brucedoesbms

richardhod wrote:Oh a month is fine. But NEVER freeze good chocolate, and refrigerating is not recommended either. woot and dry. Out of sunlight (obviously). And away from mice, ants and Indian rice Moths! (highly-sealed container: some tupperware isn't good enough)

“Giving a camera to Diane Arbus is like putting a live grenade in the hands of a child.” --Norman Mailer
woot!ism of Assurance: "There is [WAS] no finer market than the one you create for something nobody wants, yet everyone buys... "

greggarcia

This chocolate is going to be AWESOME. I FEEL IT... DO YOU FEEL IT?!?!!!!!

Right on bro... Put your hand on the electric computing machine and feel the power of the almighty chocolate-gods! I will remain in stand-by mode waiting for the candy man to deliver.

I as well am not concerned with the soy lecithin. Rain Republic obviously is really "into" chocolate and understands quality. If one wants something ultra-pure and ultra-fresh, go to your local chocolatier or make it yourself, but if one is manufacturing an excellent packaged product that has enough shelf-life and ship-ability to allow many more humans to enjoy it, and enjoy it over time and over geographical space.... well I'm all for that! Even with a smidgen of soy lecithin.

vinithehat

rainrepublic wrote:Great question. 100% Natural means no hexane gas either. We try for non-GMO soy beans but sometimes the farmers are tricked so no one can really guarantee it. Heat, pressure and spinning do the trick here in Guate'. Also, we use less than half a percent so, it's a super low amount.

You're getting me very excited about this chocolate. Thank god this isn't a epic adventure... I won't have to wait a month for it!

gosla

I don't know. I bought 20 of these things and frankly, don't get what you snotty chocolate connoisseurs see in dark chocolate. I'd take some cheap fast break bar, or it's "chocolate" exterior way above most fancy schmancy expensive dark stuff. Just saying...

Believe me, I'm pretty appreciative of fancy schmancy cheese, and wine, and cars, and lots of other things. Just don't get dark chocolate.

Can I melt it all down in the microwave and add something to make it more light, and cheap-like?

gosla

You know, with all of this hoopola about how dam natural and rain forrestey it is, I've got to ask, how do I know it's free of fecal matter? It's not like "chocolate lewak" or anything now, is it? Certain? How would we know for sure???

gijose

gosla wrote:I don't know. I bought 20 of these things and frankly, don't get what you snotty chocolate connoisseurs see in dark chocolate. I'd take some cheap fast break bar, or it's "chocolate" exterior way above most fancy schmancy expensive dark stuff. Just saying...

Believe me, I'm pretty appreciative of fancy schmancy cheese, and wine, and cars, and lots of other things. Just don't get dark chocolate.

Can I melt it all down in the microwave and add something to make it more light, and cheap-like?

I used to be skeptical of good chocolate, until I had some. It took quite some looking to find the good stuff that appeals to me, but I found it. I've found that I like a bit of fruitiness in my chocolate, and I only really get that in the nicer bars of chocolate. The cheaper bars all kind of have a uniform chocolate-y taste that I enjoy, but it doesn't quite measure up some chocolate I've found recently.

Lately I've been enjoying some locally made chocolate bars in NYC, Mast Brothers Chocolate. It's a bit pricey, but I've found that I'm satisfied with MUCH LESS of it vs a cheaper bar, and it's sublime tasting.

brucedoesbms

gosla wrote:I don't know. I bought 20 of these things and frankly, don't get what you snotty chocolate connoisseurs see in dark chocolate. I'd take some cheap fast break bar, or it's "chocolate" exterior way above most fancy schmancy expensive dark stuff. Just saying...

Believe me, I'm pretty appreciative of fancy schmancy cheese, and wine, and cars, and lots of other things. Just don't get dark chocolate.

Can I melt it all down in the microwave and add something to make it more light, and cheap-like?

Vladimir Gosla
Hazleton, Pennsylvania

(falcon trainer)

The way I see it, you're too close to Hershey, Pennsylvania (and Three Mile Island)... you need to get out more...

“Giving a camera to Diane Arbus is like putting a live grenade in the hands of a child.” --Norman Mailer
woot!ism of Assurance: "There is [WAS] no finer market than the one you create for something nobody wants, yet everyone buys... "

MarkDaSpark

Someone has to put WD's kids thru college, but why does it have to be me! *This post is for purposes of enabling only, and does not constitute any promise of helping pay for said enabling. It does indicate willingness to assist in drinking said wine.

i can't tell you how less than thrilled i am - my delivery notice shows a ship date of April 7 and a projected arrival date of

wait for it...

(and i will...)

April 19 - TWELVE DAYS LATER, including TWO count 'em TWO weekends.

so far the tracking shows it arrived in Sacramento CA just before midnight on the 9th and left just after on the 10th. So maybe that's the plan, like the Newfie Rocket to the Sun
("you can't send a rocket to the sun, you'll burn up!"
"That's why we're goin' at night.")

skierpauli

Got mine today (Monday, April 12; my birthday!) and am quite pleased. I don't know much about chocolate other than I like it and this suits me just fine. 4 squares (1/2 bar) after dinner and it was soothing and fun!

lilbrownbat

I've got a projected arrival date of April 19 too. Frankly, if I'd known they were shipping by slow boat, I probably wouldn't have bothered. The Pony Express would have done a better job with this. I hope it's in reasonable shape when it arrives although it's doubtful. I know for sure that I won't be home that week to receive it, so it'll sit on the doorstep and get spoiled some more, OR get sent back. I'm not overjoyed. If that's the way things go, no more wine.woot purchases for me.

alien88

lilbrownbat wrote:I've got a projected arrival date of April 19 too. Frankly, if I'd known they were shipping by slow boat, I probably wouldn't have bothered. The Pony Express would have done a better job with this. I hope it's in reasonable shape when it arrives although it's doubtful. I know for sure that I won't be home that week to receive it, so it'll sit on the doorstep and get spoiled some more, OR get sent back. I'm not overjoyed. If that's the way things go, no more wine.woot purchases for me.

Most items are not sent SmartPost (stupid post) on wine.woot.com. Items that are heat sensitive (wines, cheeses, etc) during the hot months are shipped via refig trucks to a local distribution point and then dropped off, assuming they can be delivered prior to the weekend. Otherwise during regular months, items are typically sent via FedEx or UPS..

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